Asbestos worry

italodisco

Hi guys,

Just a quick question. I started training In a gym up in Dominic Street upper in Dublin 7. It's in the old Hendrons building's of Broadstone, basement gym.
I'm just wondering should I be concerned about asbestos in the building?
A friend had passed comments on how old the building is and mentioned asbestos. It's been playing on my mind a bit.
That build started in 1946 that's all I know about it.....
Thanks for any advice or tips

Dudda

Asbestos came in many materials and is generally fine if left undisturbed. It only becomes a problem if its getting damaged or broken up. The only place I'd be worried about it is if its in those old vinyl floor tiles that are getting so much traffic they become badly damaged and start to break up. If the floor you are exercising on isn't breaking up or old vinyl tiles then you should be fine.
Of slightly less concern is the noising on a step. That could get a lot of traffic but they don't break up like a worn floor.
If it's in something like the roof, a toilet cistern or sink, boiler pipes, etc then no need to worry about it.

Gumbo

Ask the management team if they have had an Asbestos survey carried out. Its the law under the H&S Act if they carried out any refurbishment/renovations.

RKQ

Many building materials contained asbestos up to the late 80's. In fact man-made slates were called asbestos cement slates!
I suspect it would be very difficult not to find asbestos in a building built before circa 1990.
As stated previously it is only of concern if its damaged, drilled into or broken. Anything that releases dust should be avoided as its the tiny asbestos particles that are carcinogen. So if its not creating dust then its not a problem.

italodisco

Well then I think it might be time for me to worry, took pics of the room out back and it's looking iffy. Those broken tiles and crap from the wall.
This is a basement and a breeze blows out to the main gym room from the place in the these pics...

Calahonda52

Impossible tell whats what in those pictures: it looks like the wall was lined with plastic sheeting to try stop damp and them tiled over with ceramic tiles which fell off.

get onto these guys
http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Your_Industry/Chemicals/Asbestos/Legislation/

and try deal with facts and not expressions like "and it's looking iffy"